Chapter 117: Too Late

In the height of summer, the fifth month, all things grew.

That month, the fleeing little court of the Great Song, with an efficiency that would have left anyone in the old Eastern Capital utterly dumbfounded, accomplished many things in succession:

First, naturally, were several impromptu palace examinations to select talent... Regardless of how many mediocrities were among them, after holding the exams in batches, the Nanyang little court did manage to select and appoint a large number of officials to fill the central government;

Second, the Directorate of Armaments succeeded in producing iron under the personal supervision of His Majesty on the south bank of the Han River. This matter was actually not that important, because the Zhao Emperor only now understood that while local iron production had strategic significance, for the time being they could continuously obtain ready-made iron ingots from various government-run smelting workshops south of the Yangtze via the river; the key was still the craftsmen;

Of course, there was also the establishment of the Gunpowder Workshop... His Majesty placed great importance on this, but everyone else thought it trivial, because gunpowder was hardly a secret weapon for the Great Song; it seemed more like it had been elevated to this level solely due to His Majesty's personal preferences.

Beyond this, the two cities of Nanyang and Fangcheng were also the first to be repaired and reinforced under the guidance and inspection of the newly appointed Minister of War, Chen Gui. Further away, centered on Yancheng in Yingchang Prefecture, along with Linying, Changshe, Xiangcheng, Wuyang, Xiping, and Yexian—seven cities in total—large quantities of military supplies, grain, and conscripted laborers gathered from refugees were being dispatched, clearly intended to forge a solid defensive line at this major northeastern gap in Nanyang's defenses.

Overall, the Zhao Emperor's declaration that everything was for the war of resistance, and the war of resistance was everything, seemed to have been put into practice.

Beyond that, throughout the entire fifth month, aside from Nanyang, apart from the death of Zhang Que, Lord Zhang, there seemed to be mostly good news coming in frequently.

First, in mid-May, Han Shizhong successfully fulfilled his promise. He joined forces with the two Zhais and Lü Qing, blocked Yang Jin in the Mangshan area, beheaded him and displayed his head, then made a special trip to the already ruined city of Luoyang before finally turning back to rest and reorganize in Huaixi, under the banner of having successfully recovered the Western Capital.

Shortly after this, several documents arrived from Li Gang, Lord Li, in Yangzhou, stating that several rebel armies in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Fujian region had either been pacified through amnesty or suppressed. He then took the opportunity to propose a series of financial allocation plans for the Southeast, Nanyang, the Two Huai, and Jingdong, and also requested the expansion of the Imperial Guard Rear Army to strengthen the defenses of the Two Huai.

As for His Majesty's personal letters, Lord Li did not mention them at all, as if he had never received them.

In short, ever since His Majesty entered Nanyang, the overall situation of the entire Great Song had been improving, even exceeding everyone's expectations.

Then, by the sixth month, with the Jingyuan Circuit Commandant Qu Duan first executing his fellow Commandant Liu Xiliang on charges of desertion, then, together with his subordinate Wu Jie, taking advantage of a clash between a loyalist army and rebels in Chang'an to launch separate surprise attacks, absorbing both armies while recovering Chang'an, the turmoil in Guanzhong gradually subsided.

It was at this time that a Imperial University student who had passed the palace examination and been appointed to the Bureau of Military Affairs, named Mo Qixie, eagerly proposed the slogan of the "Nanyang Restoration," and publicly compared the Zhao Emperor to Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu!

It was said that because Mo Qixie had performed outstandingly in the palace examination, the Zhao Emperor had drawn several circles around his name in front of several lords, allowing him to be exceptionally appointed, along with Hu Hongxiu, who ranked first in military strategy, as an Eighth-Rank Compiling Editor in the Bureau of Military Affairs, and to participate in military planning as a subordinate official of the Bureau.

It was precisely because of this special favor that Mo Qixie was so attentive to His Majesty's reputation.

However, Mo Qixie's flattery was destined to be wasted on a blind man. The Zhao Emperor not only ignored him, but had recently rarely even attended court sessions. He only left notes for them daily, collected them every few days, and spent most of his time in the military camps, the gunpowder workshop, and on city defense projects... This was unavoidable, because as the sixth month arrived, with talent selection coming to an end and various rebellions gradually calming down, the core task of the central government suddenly became financial issues. And it was only at this point that the Zhao Emperor suddenly discovered something that caught him off guard: the development and severity of the problems in the Great Song's finances far exceeded his imagination.

And on the issue of Great Song finances, Zhao Jiu was even more at a loss than when facing the previous Song official system... With the official system, he could still forcibly change it as the Emperor, and could roughly understand it, only occasionally making a fool of himself. But he truly understood nothing about economics and finance.

So, these matters were basically discussed with the Central Secretariat (the name after the merger of the four departments) as the core, after which he listened to the final opinions and vaguely agreed with the majority.

"Minister Chen, you made a tubular firearm yourself last year, called a fire lance, and even used it in the army?"

In the gunpowder workshop, the Zhao Emperor looked at his newly acquired 'treasure minister,' Chen Gui, and was momentarily flustered... How could he not be flustered, pirating right in front of the founding master?

"Yes." Chen Gui, wearing a purple robe and now fifty-eight years old, stroked his beard and answered calmly. "Using a sturdy, fine bamboo tube as the barrel, bound with iron wire on the outside, then stuffing gunpowder into the tail. When engaging the enemy, as they charged close, you ignite it from the tail. The gunpowder shoots out from the front, reaching several zhang. A spearhead was also tied to the bamboo tube beforehand, so soldiers could use the bamboo tube as a spear to charge while the enemy was in disarray... Your subject used this method to break a wave of rebel soldiers."

It was even breech-loading, and came with a built-in bayonet?

After listening to the description, the Zhao Emperor was silent for a long time before tentatively asking with a smile: "Minister Chen, have you ever thought of using an iron tube instead of a bamboo one? Look, if made of iron, you could separate the powder chamber from the ignition point at the tail-loading end, and you could even stuff pellets or arrowheads into the front. Wouldn't the iron tube itself, plus the spearhead, also be a proper spear?"

"Your subject has thought of it." Chen Gui's answer, as always, made the Zhao Emperor feel ashamed of his own inadequacy. "But it is not feasible..."

"Because of barrel bursts?" The ashamed Zhao Emperor blurted out.

"Exactly that." Chen Gui was slightly startled, clearly digesting the meaning of the two words 'barrel burst' before responding. "The reason my fire lance had iron wire bound around it was because, when initially using bamboo tubes, eight out of ten would burst after ignition—what Your Majesty calls a barrel burst. At that time, I thought of replacing it with an iron tube. But when actually using iron tubes, thin, narrow ones would still burst frequently due to the violent force of the gunpowder. Thicker tubes would lose the powder's potency, and heavy tubes were simply too cumbersome..."

Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly. This was not unexpected, as it was precisely a very obvious obstacle on the development path of tubular firearms—the technical problem of forging high-quality gun barrels.

Seeing that His Majesty seemed unwilling to give up, Chen Gui couldn't help but clasp his hands and offer some advice: "Your Majesty, forgive your old servant for speaking bluntly. Gunpowder is certainly a good thing, very useful for defending cities. But for now, it is best used solely for starting fires or as an aid to bows and crossbows. Forcing it into a fire lance is actually not very useful... My fire lance was only used to intimidate ignorant bandits on the battlefield, not for actual killing. After I defeated those bandits, out of twenty thousand men in Dean Prefecture, I only kept a single company of sixty men as a fire lance unit, using a total of twenty bamboo fire lances. As for iron tubes, it's not that we lack the iron, but after the Jingkang Incident, craftsmen have scattered. With this manpower, it would be better to focus on forging armor plates and making swords and spears, to make the best use of their skills."

This was a professional discouragement from the pinnacle of the era, an authority speaking from experience: developing firearms is a dead end; better switch specialties early.

Now, Zhao Jiu knew in his heart what the right path was. But the problem was that a treasure like Chen Gui, this old boy, had already pushed his creativity to the limit. The meager knowledge in Zhao Jiu's belly was useless... And as for the current obstacle of smelting technology, he was completely ignorant and couldn't personally lead a technical breakthrough in a short time.

More importantly, Chen Gui was absolutely right. There was no time for this now. From a military perspective, from an efficiency standpoint, it was most appropriate to have those craftsmen diligently hammer out a few suits of armor.

In a word, one must listen to the words of an authority. Switch specialties early for an early rebirth.

With this thought, the Zhao Emperor naturally followed good advice, immediately expressed his agreement, and then dropped the matter, directly taking the Minister Chen, who was recognized in Nanyang as 'His Majesty's new favorite of the fifth month,' to watch the gunpowder experiments... Compared to the confusing matters of smelting and steel tubes, optimizing the formula for black powder was a technological innovation with little technical content.

Remove impurities as much as possible, adjust the ratios as much as possible, then wrap each batch tightly in coarse cloth, and just stuff them into a mound of earth to test!

However, just as the day's muffled thunderclaps from the open ground outside the gunpowder workshop had finished, and the smoke was still lingering, Yang Yizhong, who had disappeared for a moment, suddenly appeared, leading two young Compiling Editors from the Bureau of Military Affairs to His Majesty. These two young men, who participated in military planning at the Bureau, one named Mo Qixie and the other Hu Hongxiu, were both personally 'selected' by His Majesty.

"Xin what Zong?" Perhaps his ears were still a bit deaf from the earlier blasts, the Zhao Emperor was somewhat dazed when he turned around to hear the report.

"Xin Qizong." Mo Qixie, with a face full of righteousness and young and promising, cupped his hands towards His Majesty in his red robe and raised his voice. "Let Your Majesty know, this man is the second among the Xin brothers, second only to the elder Xin, the Defense Commissioner..."

"Ah, it's the Second Xin." Zhao Jiu suddenly understood, then clasped his hands and sneered. "He's come to Nanyang from Yangzhou (present-day eastern Hanzhong), bringing five or six thousand Western Army troops? He fled a thousand li from Guansi to get here?"

"Yes." Mo Qixie quickly responded again. "Lord Yuwen of the Bureau of Military Affairs, who is overseeing Guansi affairs, specially sent your subject to ask His Majesty how to handle this."

Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment, but found he had no way to punish this man... Because, calculating by time, when this man retreated from Guansi, he should not yet have received the Zhao Emperor's order forbidding retreat. And calculating by location, an absurd fact was that this man had fled a thousand li from Guanzhong through Hanzhong to Nanyang, yet he had been entirely 'in front of' the Zhao Emperor, not behind him.

So, in any case, this man could not be considered a deserter, and there was no law to punish him.

"Incorporate him into the Imperial Guard Central Army." After much deliberation, the Zhao Emperor could only handle it this way. "Then issue an edict to Xingyuan Prefecture (the core area of present-day Hanzhong), seal the San Pass, and forbid Guanzhong generals from arbitrarily entering Sichuan and Shu to cause trouble, and even more so, forbid them from coming to the temporary imperial residence without military orders."

"Understood..." Mo Qixie cupped his hands but still did not leave.

"Is there something else?" Zhao Jiu continued to ask with a smile.

Mo Qixie hesitated for a moment, then actively stepped back half a pace, yielding the opportunity to his colleague Hu Hongxiu.

Hu Hongxiu quickly cupped his hands and reported: "To answer Your Majesty, there is also the Hedong Military Commissioner Wang Xie. This man also fled through the Dasan Pass into Hanzhong when Wanyan Loushi attacked Guanzhong... Actually, as your subject knows, Commandant Xin Qizong came here precisely because he was bullied by this man in Hanzhong and couldn't establish a foothold. As for Wang Xie, although he hasn't come to Nanyang, he sent a memorial to the Bureau of Military Affairs, requesting that Your Majesty make a tour to Sichuan and Shu, establishing a secondary capital in Chengdu Prefecture, or Xingyuan Prefecture."

The Zhao Emperor was silent for a moment before speaking: "Why didn't he ask me to go to Zunyi?"

Hu Hongxiu had no reply.

"Dismiss him from his post as Hedong Military Commissioner..." Zhao Jiu, furious but knowing the limits of his power, could only speak with hatred. "Then appoint him as Prefect of Fengxiang Prefecture, and have him return quickly to sort out Guanzhong!"

"Understood!" Hu Hongxiu quickly agreed and was about to leave.

Just then, Mo Qixie suddenly bowed his head again and reported another matter to His Majesty:

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing. Commandant Xin Yongzong, that is, the Junior Xin Commandant, has just submitted a memorial to the Bureau of Military Affairs, proposing a campaign to clear out Lake Dongting. He says there is a man named Zhong Xiang there, whose influence is vast, yet he spreads heresies and deludes the people, and is indeed plotting rebellion..."

"As if I didn't know Zhong Xiang's background." Zhao Jiu blurted out, then looked at Mo Qixie and the somewhat flustered Hu Hongxiu with a half-smile. "But Minister Mo, what do you think is the intention behind Junior Xin Commandant's action here? Does he really think that I and the lords of the Bureau of Military Affairs don't know who Zhong Xiang is?"

"Your Majesty." The young Mo Qixie replied cautiously. "Your subject believes that Junior Xin Commandant had private contact with Senior Xin Commandant beforehand, knew that Senior Xin Commandant was coming, and because he has followed Your Majesty for a long time, guessed Your Majesty's temper. Fearing that Senior Xin Commandant would be punished, he sought advice from an acquaintance in the Bureau of Military Affairs. He hopes that the Imperial Guard Central Army will be mobilized again, so that his elder brother can seize the opportunity to atone for his crimes and make amends..."

"Oh." Zhao Jiu suddenly laughed again, but completely ignored the mention of any acquaintance in the Bureau of Military Affairs, and continued to ask. "Then Minister Mo, do you think we should go and attack Zhong Xiang now?"

Hearing this, Mo Qixie's heart was uneasy, but he still boldly gambled: "Your subject believes that this man Zhong Xiang did indeed harbor rebellious intentions a year ago. But the Great Song received its mandate from Heaven, and Your Majesty first crushed Jin Wushu at the Huai River, then stabilized the realm in Nanyang. You have single-handedly reversed the tide and the signs of a restoration are already apparent. As for these petty villains who misjudged the situation, their courage is already broken. If Your Majesty issues an edict of amnesty and pacification, they will surely submit willingly and dare not rebel."

Zhao Jiu nodded, then smiled again at the pale-faced Hu Hongxiu: "Minister Hu, what do you think?"

"Your subject has received years of kindness from Commandant Xin, which is why I devised this plan for him. Proposing a campaign against Zhong Xiang was indeed something I had intended to suggest earlier." Hu Hongxiu, utterly embarrassed, could only cup his hands and bow. "Your Majesty, I absolutely did not intend to deceive Your Majesty, nor did I collude internally and externally to leak military information."

Zhao Jiu was noncommittal, only continuing to ask with a smile: "So, Minister Hu, you believe that now is precisely the time to attack Zhong Xiang?"

"Yes." Hu Hong raised his head and replied solemnly. "Your Majesty, Zhong Xiang has entrenched himself at Dongting Lake, with deep roots and considerable popular support, yet he spreads heresies to deceive the masses, calling himself the Great Sage, and has people circulate proclamations that he should become the King of Chu—his rebellious intent is clear. And Dongting Lake lies at the heart of the Jinghu circuits; once it becomes a scourge, the consequences would be unimaginable..."

Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly, but before the Minister of War, Chen Gui, who was about to speak, could get a word out, he turned to Moqi Xie: "Moqi, go tell Wang Xiang what you said to me earlier—that is my intention."

Chen Gui beside him and Hu Hong in front of him were both startled, their expressions differing, but Moqi Xie, upon hearing these words, forcibly suppressed his delight and bowed in acknowledgment.

And so, with the two men from the Bureau of Military Affairs gone, Zhao Jiu examined the remnants of the gunpowder packs with Chen Gui, again designated the most effective blast point as per precedent, rewarded the saltpeter artisan responsible, recorded the formula proportions and mixing method, then rode back together in the same carriage to Nanyang city to inspect the reinforcement of the city defenses.

Yet today, for some unknown reason, uninvited guests kept arriving.

Zhao Jiu had barely turned half a circuit of the city wall with Minister Chen and Vice Prefect Yan, who was overseeing the work, when another person came to seek an audience—and this man was far from comparable to the two minor compilers earlier. He was none other than the Emperor's foremost trusted close minister, the Censor-in-Chief Zhang Jun, Zhang Deyuan.

"Your Majesty, I have heard that Zhao Kai, the Transport Judge of the Chengdu Circuit, submitted a memorial discussing five flaws in the tea-horse monopoly system, and has completely reformed the tea-horse laws?" Compared to those two, Zhang Jun spoke with much more ease and casualness outside the palace.

"That's true." Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly. "And I and several of the councilors all think what he said makes a lot of sense..."

"And what about the Guanxi generals who fled into Sichuan and Shu, causing trouble in the region?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun did not delve deeper but instead suddenly asked about another matter.

"I just issued an edict forbidding Guanxi generals from entering Sichuan without authorization." Zhao Jiu walked along the city wall, lost in thought.

"Your Majesty, since the Jingkang Incident, the north has been entirely lost, the Central Plains are in complete chaos, and even the southeast, Jingxiang, and Lingnan are teeming with rebels. Only Bashu remains peaceful, continuously transporting grain, supplies, and special products—it should be treasured all the more." Zhang Jun spoke freely as he followed behind Zhao Jiu, while Yan Xiaozhong and Chen Gui could only fall a few steps behind. "And setting aside the completeness of Bashu, now that Your Majesty is based in Nanyang, Guanzhong and the Huai regions are the court's two arms, while the southeast and Bashu are the court's two legs. From this perspective, if Bashu cannot be properly held, then Guanxi will not be stable either..."

"Deyuan, have you been stifled in Nanyang for so long that you want to go to Shu?" While the other was still speaking freely, Zhao Jiu suddenly stopped and turned directly to face him.

"Yes." Zhang Jun also instinctively halted, then after a brief pause, he nodded heavily and solemnly clasped his hands. "Your Majesty, I have received great favor from you, and I truly wish to share your burdens."

Zhao Jiu sighed for a moment: "I believe your sincerity, and I know you've been feeling stifled these days... but Deyuan, you should also know what I worry about most."

"Without your decree, I will absolutely not interfere in the Guanxi war." Zhang Jun replied solemnly. "I will only pacify Bashu on Your Majesty's behalf, doing my duty as a minister."

Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment, clearly somewhat hesitant... And it must be said, given this Zhao Jiu's low-level historical knowledge, he naturally had no idea about the brilliant military achievements of this trusted minister in history—this was evident from the fact that he had almost mistaken him for Zhang Boying, the current defender of Huaidong.

However, out of some prejudice and instinct, he was especially alert to civil officials who liked to interfere in military affairs, leading to serious consequences.

But then again, for Bashu, which had no active warfare, supervising fiscal reform, keeping an eye on San Pass, and supplying Guanxi and Nanyang with materials—there was no need to demand any 'knowledge of military affairs' or lack thereof.

If one were to seriously count, from Li Gang onward, weren't only Zong Ze and Chen Gui the odd exceptions who 'knew military affairs'?

"Your Majesty." Zhang Jun seemed to have calculated Zhao Jiu's thoughts and promptly spoke again with earnestness. "Given the current situation, someone must go to Bashu. If we talk about knowing military affairs... Zong Liushou knows military affairs, but Dongjing is more important; Minister Chen knows military affairs, and Nanyang's defense cannot do without him. As for me, I admittedly do not know military affairs, but if it were someone else, would they know military affairs? And if we do not judge by military matters, I am originally a man of Shu, so I am naturally suited for this duty."

Zhao Jiu slowly nodded.

In truth, if he did not interfere in military matters, then Zhang Jun was far more than just a man of Shu as an obvious advantage.

As the first trusted confidant of Zhao Jiu, with the seniority of Censor-in-Chief, and through logistical coordination to strengthen the central government's control over the Guanxi generals, Zhang Jun was an excellent choice.

Moreover, in terms of stance, the words 'Resist Jin' were still somewhat ambiguous for Guanxi and Bashu. And in any case, Zhang Jun's position on this matter surpassed that of the vast majority of people. Sending him to Bashu would at least convey the Emperor's serious stance.

In fact, this was also the greatest source of confidence for Zhang Jun when he came to see the Emperor today after hearing several serious reports from Shu... In the end, Shu lacked a man, and if a high minister were to be sent to Shu, who was more suitable than Zhang Jun?

Li Gang and Zong Ze were more suitable, but their positions were more important.

What about Zhuge Liang?

But Zhao Jiu had been in Nanyang for several months and still hadn't found him.

After much effort, he had found a Hu Hong, who had some strategic and tactical ability, but was still a man who couldn't separate public from private matters—no wonder his father-in-law had been demoted all the way to Jiangnanxi Circuit without recommending him.

And even if Hu Hong had great strategies, how could a mere eighth-rank compiler, who had just passed the palace examination and switched to a civil official track, be sent to Sichuan as a Transport Commissioner?

Even if Hu Hong's direct superior, Liu Ziyu, went, it would cause unrest in Shu.

And upon careful consideration, the biggest problem with this matter was actually that Shu was a single entity. Once a person was placed there, their authority would be excessively great... Unless the situation was critical, no normal Son of Heaven should entrust Shu, which was naturally closed off, to anyone.

However, Zhao Jiu stopped, looked at the bustling crowds in Nanyang city, thought back and forth, but seemed not to have considered this point. Finally, he simply turned his head and said: "You want to be the Transport Commissioner of the four circuits in Shu?"

"Five circuits!" Zhang Jun gritted his teeth. "If I am not also put in charge of the Xizhou and Hezhou circuits in Guanxi, the tea-horse trade will be difficult to implement..."

Zhao Jiu thought about the map for a moment, found nothing to say, and nodded slightly. Then he frowned and asked again: "Regardless, given the current situation, we need someone who knows military affairs to assist you. Zhao Kai handles finances—who will serve as your military advisor?"

"I take the liberty of requesting that Zhe Yanzhi be pardoned."

"A general of the Zhe family?" Zhao Jiu was again slightly dazed. "Where is he?"

"He is the son of Zhe Keshi, and he is in Changhua Army." Zhang Jun replied solemnly. Seeing that the Emperor did not understand for a moment, he quickly explained: "South of Qiongzhou, also the southernmost point of the Great Song, the ends of the earth... He was responsible for defending the Yellow River during the Jingkang Incident, but his troops scattered upon hearing that the Jin army was crossing the river in force, and he was punished and exiled for this."

"Very well." Zhao Jiu only asked casually, then immediately turned to a serious topic. "After you leave, who will be the Censor-in-Chief?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaozhong, Chen Gui, and Yang Yizhong wished they could immediately plug their ears—after all, although one was a jinshi graduate, one a graduate of the law examination, and one a military officer from a general's family, they all understood the most basic rules of propriety.

And it was very clear that Zhang Jun and Zhao Jiu did not understand these rules, so Zhang Deyuan hesitated for a moment and then directly recommended someone: "I believe that in terms of seniority and reputation, the new Minister of Works, Lü Yihao, is the best choice, but Hu Mingzhong seems more appropriate."

Zhao Jiu slowly nodded upon hearing this: "Then go! Prepare quickly, set off as soon as possible, and depart after the Council of State approves it tomorrow... Take good care of Shu for me—that will be a meritorious service."

Zhang Jun clasped his hands and bowed. When he raised his head, his eyes were slightly red: "Your Majesty's trust in me is something I will never forget. I only pray that Your Majesty takes care of yourself."

Zhao Jiu, feeling listless, could only wave his hand: "You make it sound like a farewell of life and death... If you feel grateful, do one thing for me."

Zhang Jun quickly composed himself and waited.

"Later, go to the Department of State Affairs, find Wang Xiang for me, and secretly tell him that Moqi Xie is the most suitable person to pacify Zhong Xiang." Zhao Jiu said casually.

Zhang Jun was slightly startled upon hearing this, then replied solemnly: "Your Majesty, although I do not know military affairs, I am well aware that this man Zhong Xiang is a grave threat to the heart of Jinghu—he cannot be let off lightly!"

At this moment, Chen Gui also quickly stepped forward and clasped his hands: "Your Majesty, I share this view... Although that Hu Hong just now had minor flaws in his conduct, what he said was not without reason."

"Your Majesty." Yan Xiaozhong also immediately stepped forward and raised his head to advise. "Minister Chen is a man who truly knows military affairs, and he came from Jinghu—he knows Zhong Xiang's background... Your Majesty must trust him."

All three high ministers spoke out together, with only Yang Yizhong remaining silent on the side.

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu looked up to the sky and sighed: "Do you think I truly don't know that Zhong Xiang is a grave threat, or that I don't know that this man Moqi Xie is merely flattering me?"

Zhang Jun and Yan Xiaozhong instinctively looked at Chen Gui, who knew military affairs, and Chen Gui also appeared to have a full strategy in mind.

"There's no time, and it's not necessary." Seeing that there was no one else nearby, Zhao Jiu sighed slightly and spoke the truth before Chen Gui could speak. "For now, all parts of the realm are temporarily stable, with only two groups of rebels being the most obvious—one overt and one covert. One is Zhong Xiang at Dongting Lake, who has not yet formally raised his banner; the other is the Miao rebellion in the Wuling Mountains region south of Jiangxi and north of Guangnan... The latter goes without saying—they occupy mountainous terrain and have a tradition of rebellion. Once we try to suppress them, we must gather troops from the southeast, and it will drag on for a long time. As for the former, they rely on the vast Dongting Lake, and cannot be eliminated without building warships and mobilizing a large army. But I ask you—if we concentrate our forces and suppress them halfway, and the Jin army returns, what then?"

Chen Gui was immediately at a loss for words.

"Also, why were there so many disturbances before? Wasn't it because the Jin army invaded in force, the front line was utterly defeated, so routed soldiers ran rampant and bandit armies sprang up everywhere?" Zhao Jiu continued solemnly and slowly. "And why does it seem temporarily stable today? Partly because I blocked the Jin army on the Huai River and trapped some ambitious men in the Jingdong circuits, and partly because of several small victories at the front, which made the mutinous troops fear the central government again. But at the root of it all, it's actually because the Jin army has completely withdrawn..."

Chen Gui and the others all nodded solemnly.

"So, if the Jin army comes again, don't even mention Zhong Xiang or the Wuling Mountains in the south—even the southeast will see chaos again! And if the routed soldiers from Guanxi enter Bashu again, even Bashu will fall into disorder..." Zhao Jiu smiled bitterly and spread his hands. "This is why I dare not suppress Zhong Xiang; this is why I immediately agreed to Deyuan's entry into Shu; and this is why, even though I know I am pushing my ministers and officials so hard, and everything in Nanyang is hasty and none of the arrangements are long-term plans, I still pretend not to know—because I am certain that before long, the Jin army will return in full force!"

The men grew even more solemn. Finally, Chen Gui replied seriously: "May I ask Your Majesty, when do you think the Jin army will launch another attack?"

"Who knows?" Amid the chirping of cicadas, Zhao Jiu's face was expressionless as he clasped his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky, and sighed. "That depends on the Jin Emperor and those powerful ministers surnamed Wanyan... In any case, it will be sooner than we think!"

"Wanyan Zonghan!"

The summer cicadas chirped incessantly.

In the Jin capital of Yanjing, within the Branch Secretariat, because the Jin ruler, the Boglie, and Grand Marshal Wanyan Wuqimai along with the other Boglie were far away in Huining Prefecture, Hulie Boglie and Wanyan Aguda's eldest son Wanyan Wolian sat on the left, while Yilai Boglie Wanyan Zonghan sat on the right, the two of them seated together at the head.

Then, the imperial clansmen, ministers, and generals of various tribes currently in Yanjing each sat to the left or right, their status differences clearly marked.

But just as the discussion began, everyone suddenly heard someone call out the name of the Yilai Boglie at the head, and they all turned to look, only to realize the situation.

It turned out that the one who had called out to Wanyan Zonghan was none other than Wanyan Wushu, who was sitting on an extremely thick cushion even in the height of summer.

He was the so-called fourth son of Jin Taizu, Wanyan Aguda.

"Zonghan!"

Wanyan Wushu sat askew, stroking his beard and sneering back. "Today, in front of everyone in Yanjing, you tell me clearly—will you combine forces to attack Nanyang or not?!"

Wanyan Zonghan was nearly fifty this year, almost twenty years older than Wanyan Wushu. Being questioned so directly to his face naturally infuriated him, but seeing Wanyan Wolian beside him expressionless, merely lowering his head to drink tea, he actually held back and then smiled calmly in response:

"Wushu, I've told you, the western front is also important. The Western Xia are there, the Song's five circuits west of the Pass are there, and even the Mongols on the steppe need our Western Route Army to deal with them. Not to mention the uncertain situation with Yelu Dashi... With so many matters, how can we abandon them all just for the sake of a little brat's backside?"

In the Branch Secretariat, the burst of laughter had just started when it abruptly stopped, because Wanyan Wushu had stood up and drawn his blade.

PS: Thanks to the fifty-fifth patron, Yuema Tianshan, this is a big shot.